The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Scrunchies
by Bookjunkie-22
Summary: I know what you're thinking, it's been done to death. But just try it out. This fic may surprise you. And if it doesn't then at least you just killed some time.
1. What Keeps Us Together

Disclaimer- I don't own The OC, or the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, or Bass Ackwards and Belly Up.

Chapter One: What Keeps Us Together

It's not like we're crazy. Really. I mean of course when Kaitlyn suggested this we all thought she was crazy, but she did have a point. The four of us were splitting up for the summer; even the Cooper sisters were leaving Newport Beach for separate destinations.

So when Kaitlyn, MiniCoop as Summer has called her since the day she was born, even though we were only two, suggested that we try to keep each other together even though we're splitting up and going to different parts of the US.

We were doing our usual Saturday morning, hanging at the Coopers house, ritual, where Marissa had already started packing. She wasn't going as far as Summer but she was going farther than me. Marissa's mom had decided that now that she was over her anorexia (Completely fictional anorexia invented by Julie Cooper) that she should build some muscle and enrolled her in soccer camp. Which confused the hell out of all of us, cause Marissa age 16 and 5'6, is the clumsiest person we ever knew. And living in Newport Beach, you meet alot of tourists, not one of them has tripped over the dock and fallen into the water like Marissa does at least once a summer, except not this one of course.

Summer was a different story. Following the almost something that her stepmother caught her doing with Harper Klein, Anthony Jonson, and then a few days later with Jason Hughes, her step monster and her father decided that she was to spend the summer visiting family in New York. It's not that Summer's a slut. She is still a virgin, it's just... well she's kinda boy crazy. When she starts kissing one, she pretty much loses herself, which is very dangerous, especially considering that she'll be all alone in a state known for it's hot guys, without me, Marissa, and Kaitlyn to make sure she doesn't get in to far over her head.

Now Kaitlyn is another different story. Now while Julie Cooper was watching Marissa like a hawk (fake anorexia) Kaitlyn had decided to spend the summer with a parent who wanted her around. Jimmy Cooper had been banished from Newport since we were all 13 (well Kaitlyn was 11). He stole money from alot of his clients and Julie kicked him out. He got a job on a cruise boat thingy (I'm still fuzzy on the details) and he works as like a chef. Anyway Kailtyn scored a spot on his boat for the summer.

As for me, well my mother is making me visit my father and his new family cause she wasn't going to be in Newport this summer. Not much to it. My parents divorced when I was 9, my dad used to visit on my birthdays and Christmas, but then he remarried when I was 12, I have yet to meet my new family. Of course that will change. As far as I know they live in a huge house, she has three kids, and they're expecting another.

So as we were dreading our first summer away from one other ever, not counting those two years that Kaitlyn was non-existent, Kaitlyn had decide we needed to do something. It was when she came back with four different colored scrunchies that we got worried.

"What are you doing?" Marissa asked her younger sister as she folded her shirts.

"It's what we're gonna use." Kaitlyn stated matter of factly.

"Okay, my hair looks horrible in a scrunchie." Taylor said looking warily at the hair ties.

"You don't need to wear it in your hair." Kaitlyn said putting the red one around Taylor's wrist.

"Okay and why do we need these little one?" Summer teased as Kaitlyn put a blue one on her wrist.

"To keep us connected." Kaitlyn glared.

"And how exactly will these keep us connected?" Marissa asked now sporting a dark green one.

Kaitlyn put a black one on her wrist and sat on Marissa's bed, "Okay, guys we're gonna go three whole months without seeing each other. This is the only thing I could think of on short notice. I mean Ris you're leaving the day after tomorrow. Just hear me out."

The three girls exchanged glances and went to sit on the bed with Kaitlyn. The four teens sat in a circle.

"Okay, we'll always be together this way." Kaitlyn said.

"What way?" Taylor asked, confused. She was a little weirded out at Kaitlyn being sentimental. That was her job in this winsome foursome.

"The scrunchies. Okay heres the rules. You must always wear them someplace on your person. Each color has a meaning, like a thing you have to do. But more importantly you have to remember your friends always." she explained.

"Wow, that actually sounds like a cool idea." Summer said touching the hair band around her wrist.

"What kind of things?" Taylor asked uneasily.

"Well let's say the red one for example," Kaitlyn started, "um it means you have to do something you wouldn't ordinarily do."

"Like what?" Taylor asked again.

"Well since you have it, you'd have to do something like actually talk to a guy you don't know." Marissa teased one of her best friends.

"Or if it was Summer, she'd have to not talk to a random guy." Kaitlyn said with a grin, Summer stuck her tongue out.

"Okay well what about green?" Taylor asked holding up Marissa's wrist.

"What about doing something for the environment with green?" Summer asked.

"Okay and blue?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Blue equals water..." Marissa said in thought.

"Water equals swimming..." Taylor added.

"Swimming equals skinny dipping." Kaitlyn grinned.

"Seriously?" Marissa asked laughing while Summer shrugged.

"Why not?"

"And last but not least." Taylor said turning to Kaitlyn.

"Black." Kaitlyn said holding up her wrist.

"Kiss a boy." Marissa said.

"Good, now we should come up with a schedule." Kaitlyn grinned.

"Schedule?" Taylor repeated.

"Well, yeah. I say we each keep a scrunchie for a week, then send it on to the next person." Kaitlyn said writing down the rules and scrunchie meanings.

"So you mean we each have to do something you wouldn't normally do, do something for the environment, go... skinny dipping, and kiss a boy?" Taylor asked.

"When am I gonna have time to work on my tan?" Summer asked.

"What's more important your best friends in the entire world or your tan?" Marissa asked jokingly, Summer pretended to think about it.

"I'm serious!" Taylor said.

"Taylor we're going to be juniors this year, it's time for you to have some adventure." Marissa said.

"Kiss a guy, skinny dip, make our planet safer... This is our first summer apart since we were born, this scrunchie thing of Kaitlyn's is gonna keep us together even when we're apart." Summer said.

"All for one..." Kaitlyn started putting her hand in the middle of us, Summer put her hand on Kaitlyn's, Marissa followed, Taylor looked at there hands and placed her own on top.

"And one for all." they all said in unison.

Okay I know it's kinda short but it's just the first chapter, the prologue if you will. Please tell me what you think. Should I continue?

Please Review.

-Em


	2. Making New Friends?

Chapter Two: Making New...Friends?

"I guess this is it." Taylor said to Kaitlyn. Summer and Marissa had left town a few days before, and Taylor was set to leave that day, Kaitlyn the day after.

"Remember the hair tie." Kaitlyn said giving a tug on the red scrunchie around Taylor's wrist.

"Remember that it's kiss a boy, not kiss a hundred boys." Taylor teased.

"No promises." she shrugged, then hugged Taylor tightly, "I'm gonna miss you Townsend."

"I'll miss you too Little Cooper."

"Remember the most important rule, Scrunchies equal love, Love your sisters and love yourself." was the last thing Kaitlyn said as Taylor got in line to board the plane.

Generally Taylor hated traveling. Although it wasn't really traveling's fault. It was more that her only traveling experiences were with her mother professional ball buster.

Taylor played with the red tie around her wrist. She wondered what Summer, Marissa, and Kaitlyn were doing without her. Without each other.

"...please proceed to the front of the plane." was all Taylor heard as the flight attendant shook her awake.

'This is it.' Taylor thought after claiming her baggage, "Dad is gonna come around that corner any second and I'm gonna meet his other family.' Any second seemed to be lasting for a long time. She decided to call him to see what was taking so long, 'probably traffic.' she added in thought.

But when she pulled out her cell phone, it was beeping that she had a voicemail, "Maybe it's Summer, or Marissa, or even Kaitlyn." she said out loud. It wasn't.

"Hey Tay, sweetie, it's dad. I'm sorry but I can't meet you at the airport. Take a cab and I'll reimburse you when you get here. You know the address," her dad informed her.

Taylor closed her phone and nodded, "Yeah, dad, I know the address." and she went to hail a cab.

"Summer, it's Taylor, call me when you get this. I landed twenty minutes ago, it's beautiful here, oh yeah and I wanna go back home." she said leaving a message on Summer's phone.

Instead of taking her directly to her fathers home she decided to have the cabbie drive her around the town a bit, on her first impression Taylor decided the town was small. Like Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow small, "Oh can you stop at the ice cream place?" Taylor asked, "Do you want anything?"

"Uh sure Miss. A chocolate cone, if it's not too much trouble." the confused cabbie said, letting Taylor out at Dairy Queen.

"No trouble at all." Taylor grinned, well that's something she's never done before, "One chocolate cone and one vanilla." she added to the person at the window. As she went to wait for them to get her order she sat down on a bench. So this was the place she was going to be living for the next three months. At first glance she supposed it was alright. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something move. Or rather at second glance someone move. She gasped. There two feet away was the hottest guy she'd ever seen. Not just regular hot but like the kind of guy Marissa (who was a very picky dater, not as picky as Taylor but close enough) would date. Blonde hair, blue eyes, white wife beater, clinging in all the right places, and jeans FADED in all the right places. But that wasn't all. The next part was the clincher for Taylor. He was reading. An actual book, not just comic books like most of the guys in her grade.

Taylor was aware she was staring now, and prayed he wasn't.

'Well this would be something you'd never done before.' a voice that sounded like Kaitlyn pointed out in her head.

'Plus he's really cute.' another voice that sounded like Summer said.

'And would you look at those muscles?' the Marissa sounding voice asked.

Before Taylor had the chance to call her therapist Dr. Sullivan back in Newport cause she was fairly certain hearing voice that don't belong to you, even if they belong to your best friends still qualify you as crazy, she found herself walking up the blonde guy "Um hi."

He looked up from his book, looked Taylor up and down and nodded, "Hi." He then turned back to his book.

"I'm Taylor." she said.

He nodded again not even bothering to look up from the book this time.

'Rude.' Taylor thought.

"Your ice creams gonna melt." he said.

"Excuse me?" she asked, they hadn't called her yet to tell her the cones were even ready, what was this guy talking about.

"Your obviously new here," he said closing his book and standing, He grasped her shoulders and turned her back towards the counter where two ice cream cones in dishes where sitting, "Your ice cream is melting."

"But they didn't tell me..." she trailed off grabbing the dishes embarrassed.

"They don't." he said turning to leave.

"Thanks." she called.

He didn't respond and Taylor could have sworn she heard him laugh as she headed back to her cab.

After she settled in the back again, she snapped the hair tie and her wrist like it was a rubber band, "Well that's done."

"Taylor!" her dad said as she pulled into the driveway.

"Hi dad." she responded and took her bags from Andrew, the driver, "Thanks Andrew."

"No problem Miss Taylor." he said getting back into his cab.

Taylor took in the house she was in front of with shock. Sure she lived in Newport Beach where mansions were every second house, but this was like she'd said before Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow. As far as she knew no one in Stars Hollow had mansions, so what was her father doing with one? What was the whole neighborhood doing with mansions, when their town's park benches were rotting away? When the fountain she'd passed earlier had so much mold growing on it that it looked like it was a green statue with gray spots. How could her father be living like this when the whole town was falling apart?

"Well come on in. Your brothers and sister are eager to meet you as is your new mo- step mother." he said grabbing a couple of her bags.

"Welcome!" A blonde woman with the biggest breasts Taylor had ever seen said hugging her as she stepped over the threshold. Kaitlyn would never believe her, when she wrote that her new step mother had boobs bigger than Andrea Wilks (Plastic Surgery Queen of Newport).

"Thanks." Taylor managed to squeak out.

"I'm so glad your staying with us this summer. Now come over her, " she said leading Taylor to what she presumed was the living room, "I want you to meet my darlings."

"Um okay."

"Now Taylor, this is Jake, he's the oldest, 18, and this is Marie she's your age, and this is my baby boy Christopher, he's 10. Kids you've heard your dad talk about Taylor right?" the woman who Taylor still didn't know her name, asked.

"Yep." Jake answered boredly, obviously he wanted to be somewhere else.

"So so so much!" Marie said excitedly, she ran up and impulsively hugged Taylor.

"Oh, wow. I guess we're huggers here." Taylor said awkwardly.

"Now there is one more member of our family I want you to meet but unfortunately he's not here right now." her dad said.

"Um dad if this is your way of telling me about the baby, mom already broke the news." Taylor said.

"Oh no, no. Ryan. He's my sisters best friends son. He lives in our guesthouse, well you two will be sharing it for a couple months, but he's a really nice kid. He just got into some trouble and Belle, that's my sister, she asked if I would mind doing her this favor." Taylor nodded along to her new stepmothers tale.

'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air anyone?' Taylor thought to herself, "So I'm gonna be sharing a place with a stranger?" she added to her father.

"Well yes, but only because we don't have any spare bedrooms in the house." he said.

Taylor looked down at the red scrunchie on her wrist, 'Bet you think this is funny.'

"Aunt Stephanie?" A boy called from another room.

'Stephanie!' Taylor thought finally.

"Ah this is Ryan." her father said.

Taylor nodded and turned towards the entrance to greet the boy she was going to be spending the next three months with. When he stepped into the room he saw her and looked a bit confused but then grinned. Taylor on the other hand went from a polite smile to her eyes bugging out and her face draining of its color.

"Ryan this is my daughter Taylor." her father said.

"Nice to meet you." Ryan said walking closer to her with his hand outstretched.

An hour ago Taylor wanted nothing more than to touch these hands, now it was all she could do to squirm out of his vice like grip. This was gonna be a long summer.

Please review. I know it was kinda short, but I'm still trying to figure out where this story is going. I think the next chapter will be Summer, but I'm not sure. Oh and I already know who the girls love interests are gonna be except for Kaitlyn, if you guys have any ideas please let me know cause I have no clue.

-Em


	3. Summer's summer Plans

Chapter Three: Summer's summer plan.

Summer stepped off her plane not sure what she was expecting. Her aunt waving and smiling, her cousin Jamie waiting eagerly at her side, maybe her uncle grinning at the sight of her. Not a blonde woman holding a sign with "Summer Roberts" written on it.

"Um hi, I'm Summer." she stated a little confused glancing around for her family.

"Ah, hi sweetie. I'm Kirsten, I live next to your aunt." the woman said.

"Oh?" Summer asked no less confused.

"Yeah, well your aunt had an appointment and your uncle was working so she asked me if I would mind picking you up from the airport, cause I'm picking up me own son, in about a half hour. He goes to a boarding school during the school year. I hope you don't mind that we have to wait."

'Boarding school huh? Only the bad ones get sent away to boarding school. Just my type.' Summer turned to Kirsten with a smile, "Of course not."

"Good let's go get your luggage."

Summer liked Kirsten, she seemed nice. Summer could picture herself at Kirsten's house many times over the summer. She would go over and Kirsten would have chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, Summer would stop by for a chat before meeting up with her very hot son for a make out session. Summer's summer was all planned out as far as she was concerned.

"Ah here he is." Kirsten said, interrupting herself. Not that it mattered, Summer wasn't really listening anyway.

Summer looked up and sucked in a breath. Walking in their direction was a guy, who looked about her age; he was wearing a leather jacket. That was the first thing Summer noticed the leather jacket. She could spot a real one a mile away, he defiantly wasn't wearing a fake. He was tall, taller than her anyway, but nowhere near as tall as her own personal freak show Marissa Cooper. He had dark brown hair that framed his face perfectly. Summer smiled at him as he neared, but the smile faltered a bit when he walked right past her and Kirsten.

Summer turned to comment to Kirsten on her son's weird behavior, when she noticed, for the first time, a guy standing next to them. He was smiling at her. Not the usual soul melting smiles she was used to getting from guys, this was different. It was like this big goofy grin. He wasn't wearing a leather jacket, it was more like a sweater vest (Ew!). He was tall too, way taller than her and surprisingly even taller than Marissa. The worst was his hair, though. It didn't frame his face in the slightest. It was- god- the only word she could think to describe it as was a fro. As in afro.

"Summer this is my son Seth." Kirsten introduced.

"Hi." Seth said still grinning goofily at her.

"Hey." Summer said pasting on a big fake smile. She kissed her summer plans goodbye.

"Summer is staying with the Simon's for a couple months." Kirsten explained.

"Nice." Seth said, Summer nodded half-heartedly.

"Why don't you two get to know one another, while I pull up the car?" Kirsten suggested.

"Sure mom." Seth said, as Kirsten walked away Seth turned back to Summer, "So not what you were expecting huh?"

"Sorry?" she asked.

"When my mother said I was just getting in from my boarding school, you probably expected someone like him." he pointed to the guy Summer had been expecting to be Seth.

"What? No." Summer lied horribly; Seth arched his eyebrow, "Okay maybe. But why are you at boarding school anyway? Don't parents only send their kids away when they're horrible brats, total bad boys, or sluts?"

"How do you know I'm not?" Seth asked.

Summer rolled her eyes and pointed to his suitcase, which had a drawing of Spiderman on it, "Spill."

Ignoring her question, he added, "So which category do you fall into?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well your parents have sent you away for the summer, so which are you, a spoiled brat or a slut?" he asked.

"I think I'm a spoiled brat on the verge of becoming a slut." Summer said.

Seth nodded, "Well I'm not a bad boy, as you pointed out. I'm kind of spoiled, but I'm not even close to being a slut."

Summer smiled, "Okay then."

"Looks like this is the beginning-"

"Don't do move quotes and we'll get along great." Summer interrupted.

"Deal." Seth said, shaking her hand.

"So we're a train ride away from Manhattan." Kirsten explained as she drove. Summer had called shotty the second the car was in sight leaving Seth to sit in the backseat with all their luggage.

"Cool, I've never been to the city before." she said, "So what's my aunt's place like?"

"No idea." Seth said.

"How long have you lived next door to them?" Summer asked turning in her seat to face him.

"My whole life."

"Huh. Do they have a pool?" Summer asked looking at the blue scrunchie on her wrist.

"They used to but Jaime almost cracked her head on the diving board during one of her keggers." Seth said.

"We do though. You're welcome to use it anytime." Kirsten said.

"Jaime and a kegger? Are you serious? That tiny little girl in pigtails?" Summer asked confused.

"Yeah Jaime Simon, not such a tiny little girl anymore. At least she wasn't when I saw her at Christmukkah break."

"Christmu-wha?" Summer asked.

"Oh now you've started it." Kirsten mumbled and sat back for a long description of her son's favorite holiday.

"So you created you're own holiday?" Summer asked, tilting her head, "You're very strange." Seth hung his head slightly, "Why do I always make weird friends? First Taylor now you Cohen. Is there some kind of chemical imbalance in me?" Seth perked up when she said they were friends.

A very hot girl wanted to be friends with him. Things were defiantly turning around.

Please Review. Marissa is up next.

-Em


	4. Who's Dating A Conselor?

Chapter Four: Who's Dating a Counselor?

'Well,' Marissa thought to herself, 'A whole summer away from Newport.' Her mother was right about one thing anyway. The summer away from that place would do her good. But to spend it at a soccer camp. Away from her friends. Well that just spelled disaster.

"Marissa Cooper." a woman called her name.

Marissa's head shot up as she saw the woman direct her towards a smaller group. She sighed and walked over, before any of the other girls said a word Marissa turned to face all of them, "I'm Marissa, I haven't played soccer since I was seven. I sprained my ankle and vowed never to go near one again. My mother signed me up for this camp cause she thought I needed to get away from my town for a while. So I'm apologizing now for my clumsiness, and inability to kick a ball straight."

The other four girls stared at her with grins.

"Yeah well apology excepted for now," a male voice from behind her said, "But, I'm gonna warn you Newbie, in a few weeks when we whip you into shape... well then you'll have no excuses."

Marissa turned to see a tall blonde guy, "Uh hi."

"I'm Luke, your counselor. Well this groups counselor." he said with a grin.

"You already heard, I'm Marissa." she said extending her hand and giving him her patented Marissa Cooper smile, "I'm bound to be your hardest charge." Taylor would so be scolding her for this, but Taylor wasn't here right now, "So Coach, got a girlfriend?" she added low so only Luke could hear.

He looked down at her with a confused look, "No."

Marissa shrugged, "The summer's just starting."

"You know dating the counselors is against the rules right?" Marissa's bunkmate asked her as the girls put their stuff away.

"Who's dating a counselor?" Marissa feigned innocence.

"I'm just saying you could get sent home before 'Coach' has a chance to 'whip you into shape.'" the girl who Marissa later learned was named Sophie said.

After going to the dining hall for dinner Marissa decided to take a run on the beach. The only thing she could really do with out tripping over her own two feet.

"Newbie." she heard a voice say as she was tying her sneakers.

"Coach." Marissa grinned without turning around.

"What are you doing out here this late?" he asked moving over on his blanket so she could sit.

"I live in Orange County. I like the beach at night; it's peaceful and quiet. Back home I sit at this abandoned life guard tower and stare out into the ocean for hours." she shrugged.

"Get your heart broken?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Is that why you stare out at the ocean? Cause you got your heart broken?" he repeated.

Marissa stopped to think about it. The last serious boyfriend she had moved away two months before, but she shook her head, "No, I just like it."

"The color maybe? Is it the color that you find so enchanting?"

"I don't know if I have a reason for liking it. I just... why do you care?" she asked suddenly.

He shrugged, "Just getting to know my hardest charge."

Marissa smiled, "Well when I figure out the reason I promise you'll be the first to know."

"Good to know, Newbie. I guess I'll see you in the morning." Luke said giving her shoulder a slight squeeze.

After he left Marissa wasn't sure how much longer she stayed out there. It felt like minutes but it very well could have been hours. Why did she like being alone on the beach so much? Was it a sign of depression? Was her mother actually right about something after almost sixteen years of being perpetually wrong? Was it perhaps because she understood the ocean? It never stayed in one place. All her life all she's wanted to do was be in constant motion. Running. She never wanted to slow down or stop, because she always felt she might lose herself. That's why things were easy with Taylor, Summer, and Kaitlyn. They knew who she was and she never felt lost with them.

Now here was this boy who wanted her to explain why she did the things she did and for the first time she didn't have an answer. She couldn't just say some lie and gloss over a subject she didn't want to talk about. Not that asking about her attachment to the ocean was all that intimate... but for some reason it felt like it was.

He could have asked her a million different questions but he asked her why she liked to be alone with the sea. And that was a question she wasn't ready to answer. Not to some strange (albeit hot) boy. And especially not to herself.

She finally stood from the beach and made her way back to the cabin, and sat down. The rest of the girls were fast asleep, she had no idea what time it was, and she had no idea what time they all had to be awake for morning drills and other soccer stuff.

As she started to drift her mind began to wander. Reckless. That's what the school's shrink called her. Anorexic. That's what her mother called her. Coop. That's what Summer called her. Insane. That was a word Taylor regularly used when describing her. Sis. The word Kaitlyn used when she wanted something.

_Newbie._

Okay I'm sorry this chapter is so short, when I get into weeks instead of days (Which is how I'm planning this story out.) they'll be longer. I just wanted to do everyone's first day apart as a separate chapter. So far none of them has contact with the other and you can see the start of trouble for them. Next up is Kaitlyn Cooper's first day on her fathers cruise ship boat thing. Oh and I'm sorry to all my R/M readers, but it's gonna be Marissa and Luke, and Ryan and Taylor.

Please review.

-Em


	5. I Didn't Come Here To Work

Chapter Five: I Didn't Come Here to Work

"So we dock once a week." Jimmy went on to explain to his daughter, "You can call your mom on those days."

"Yeah, right." Kaitlyn said rolling her eyes, as they walked through the streets of the town the boat was docked in.

"Okay well you can call Marissa if she has phone privileges on the day we dock." Jimmy said.

"Okay." Kaitlyn shrugged.

"So I gotta say I am a little surprised that you opted to spend your summer with me, working on a cruise boat, instead of spending it in the pool with Summer and Taylor." Jimmy said looking to start up a real conversation with his daughter.

"Summer's dad and the stepmonster-" off Jimmy's look she corrected herself, "I mean Gloria, shipped Summer off to New York to stay with her aunt. Taylor's mom shipped her off to her fathers, and I didn't really want to spend all summer alone with mom."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Jimmy said.

Kaitlyn giggled then stopped dead, "Wait did you say work on a cruise ship?"

"Well here it is." Jimmy said leaded Kaitlyn aboard.

"I wanna go home." she said.

"Too late."

"You never said I had to work. I called to ask if I could hang out with you this summer." Kaitlyn said dragging her luggage behind her.

"Well honey, that would have meant that you wanted to go on a cruise this summer, which could have been arranged if you'd phrased it like that, instead of making it sound like you were bored and needed a summer job. But I'm sorry Kaitlyn, this is what you get." Jimmy said opening the room Kaitlyn would be staying in.

"Oh god." Kaitlyn said looking around the gray room that looked more like a jail cell than a room, "This is my room for the next two and a half months?"

"It's not that bad." Jimmy sighed.

Kaitlyn stopped when she heard him sigh, and frowned, "I'm sorry dad. The room's great."

"No, I'm sorry honey. This work... well it's not gonna be easy. You're a waitress for a cruise ship that docks once a week." Jimmy said, "I thought your mom explained it to you."

Kaitlyn shrugged, "It's okay dad. I'm sorry for complaining and being such a bit-" Off Jimmy's look, she corrected, "I mean a Julie Cooper."

Jimmy was about to scold her but she was smiling so big that he merely shook his head, "Okay baby, well I'm gonna take a shower. We leave in about an hour, and we're picking up all the passengers at the next boat dock. So you're uniform is in the closet. Get unpacked and dressed and I'll come get you when we need to head down to the kitchen."

"Okay..." Kaitlyn sighed, she pulled out her cell and checked for service. It took her a few minutes but after standing on her bed with the phone held high above her head she finally got a bar, she hit speakerphone and hit speed dial seven: Taylor.

"Hi, you've reached Taylor Townsend, I'm not able to reach my phone at the moment please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Kaitlyn listened to the professional sounding voicemail of one of her best friends.

"Hey Dorksend, I'll try to call you again next time I'm in cell range. But here is my drama so far. You know how I was gonna go on this ship and have a kick ass summer being waited on by hot well waiter guys, and have my dad make me awesome food? Well change of plans. You know those hot waiters? I'm gonna be one. Anyway change that voicemail message already ya loser. I love you whore." Kaitlyn said playfully. She didn't mean anything by it and Taylor knew it. It was how they talked to one another. Kaitlyn called Taylor a whore and Taylor called her a prude. Basically they teased each other and Kaitlyn loved it.

Taylor was the first one to really invite Kaitlyn along with them all those years ago. Kaitlyn laid on the bed thinking back to when she was about four. You don't really remember things from that age but maybe it was the fact that she'd heard the story so many times that the memory stayed with her.

She was four years old, Summer, Taylor, and Marissa were six, and the three girls were in her kitchen eating cookies even though it was almost dinnertime. Jimmy had come in just a they'd finished, when he noticed the cookie jar on it's side he turned to the four of them and asked who ate the cookies. Taylor being the crybaby that she was at that age was about to crack when Kaitlyn piped up, "I did daddy."

Kaitlyn had got sent to the corner for ten minutes and when she was allowed to go back to what she was doing Taylor came over to her and they instantly became friends.

"Come on trouble maker." her memory of six year old Taylor said.

"Right behind you, good girl." Kaitlyn answered back with her eyes closed.

"Who are you talking to?" a voice asked.

Kaitlyn opened her eyes to see a kid that looked a little older than her standing there staring into her room. He was taller than her, with really curly blonde hair. It almost looked red though. He was leaning against her doorpost smiling down at her.

"No one." she said sitting up, "Who are you?"

"Eric." he said nodding.

"Worker or passenger?"

"Worker. I'm a waiter."

"Waitress." she said nodding, "I'm Kaitlyn, my dad's a chef."

"Eric, come on we gotta- hello." a much hotter guy said as he entered the room.

Kaitlyn grinned at him. He had blonde hair that actually looked blonde. He was taller than Eric, and he was grinning at her like the boys at school looked at her. It was familiar, and she liked it, "Kaitlyn." she said holding out her hand.

"Brad. I'm his twin." he said grasping her hand.

Kaitlyn didn't feel the usual spark she felt when she came in contact with a guy, but she shrugged it off, "Twin? You guys look nothing alike."

"So what do you think dad? Not even an hour and I've already made two friends, who are not related to me, or friends with someone related to me." Kaitlyn said reporting to the kitchen in her uniform with Eric and Brad in tow.

"Hey Mr. Cooper." Eric said while Brad nodded at him.

"Nothing wrong with being friends with your family. Or with people your family members have met first." Jimmy said after nodding at the boys.

"Duh, I never said there was. I already miss Summ, Taylor, and Ris. I have like no service, raising the bar my ass, and when I called Taylor it went straight to her lame voicemail anyway." Kaitlyn shrugged.

"How can a voicemail message be lame?" Eric asked.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes smiling, this kid was gonna need some work. At least she had a summer project. Aside from serving total strangers but hey at least she can meet some totally hot rich guys and have them fawn over her hotness. Silver lining.

"All staff on deck." A voice said over the loud speaker.

"Show time kids." Jimmy said.

Kaitlyn had been on her feet for over two hours, "You'd think maybe these people would want to spend time with their family. I mean god they just got here, and it's way past lunch and not even close to dinner. Is this a weight watchers ship and no one told me?" Kaitlyn complained to Brad as she waited for the cooks to give her the order.

"It's just the first day," Brad said, "dude you don't even know what you're in for."

Kaitlyn groaned and dropped her head into her hands, "Next year I'm staying home."

"Uh chef's kid," a worker said to Kaitlyn, holding her order, "Mini Cook."

Kaitlyn didn't even respond she just stared at him in shock.

"It's Kaitlyn." Eric said walking up behind her.

As Kaitlyn took the food she couldn't stop herself from asking, "You're not related to a Summer Roberts are you?" Not only did the guy stop what he was doing to stare at her, but her father also looked over with a confused glance.

"It's her first day." Eric said tugging on her arm.

Kaitlyn walked over to a table with her pen and pad poised in the air, "Can I take your order?"

"Nice." one of the people commented.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and was about to say something when she noticed who was sitting at the table. Spencer Bullit. Her tennis instructor.

"Kaitlyn?" he asked.

"Spencer!" she said happily pulling him into a hug. She'd been in love with him for years, but he always claimed she was just to young, he was after all four years older than her, "Whose your friend?" Kaitlyn asked referring to the guy who had commented on her.

"Oh this is Tyler. Tyler this is Kaitlyn, my 14 year old student, she may look older than she is, but don't get any ideas." Kaitlyn about died when he said she looked older than she was.

"I like em young." Tyler commented.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked Spencer ignoring his friend.

"My dad, the Big Bang himself, is getting remarried at the end of the summer, so all twelve of us kids are supposed to be here with him and his future bride, and I brought Tyler here to keep me company." Spencer said after chuckling slightly at the brush off Kaitlyn just dished his friend, "So what are you doing here?"

"My dad is the chef here, and well sorta a miscommunication but well...yeah I'm a waitress this summer."

"Speaking of Summer," he said looking around, "Where are they? I can't wait to see the other three rejecting Tyler."

"I'm solo this summer." she said shrugging.

"What?" he asked surprised.

She nodded, "Anyway I better take your order and get to it, before I get fired. I'm still not exactly sure what would happen if I get fired. Do I have to leave when we dock once a week...? Or maybe I get sent down below to shovel coal." Kaitlyn joked looking for a way out of that conversation.

Spencer seemed to get the message, and gave her his order.

"So what do we do for fun around here?" Kaitlyn asked as she Eric and Brad walked around the deck.

"Uh well on our off hours we get to use the employee pool. Not as fancy as the guest pool but still pretty nice." Brad shrugged.

Kaitlyn nodded as they finally came to a stop. She stared out at the moon, this was gonna be one long summer without her friends.

Okay so I couldn't decide and nobody really voted. Though thank you to the one person who suggested Will, I would have done him but I never really liked his character, but I did kind of fall for the Ward boys in the Case of the Franks when they drop their skateboard and argue as they apologize to Summer. Anyway now maybe you guys can tell me which boy you like best after this chapter. Kaitlyn isn't getting together with anyone right away but I introduced at least four possible love interests for her so tell me who you like best.

Next is Taylor, find out why she didn't answer Kaitlyn's call. All you gotta do is review.

-Em


	6. How To Deal With Roommates

A/N- I think I got the twins names switched, by accident in the last chapter. If I did just go with it, and I apologize, but I'm not gonna switch them now cause that might be confusing. But then that might be confusing... Well you guys vote on it should I keep them how it is now or go back and edit it?

Chapter Six: How to Deal With Roommates

Taylor looked around the room she'd be using for the next three months. It was so empty. So impersonal. It was like anyone could be living there. She walked over and knocked on Ryan's door.

"Yeah?" he called. She pushed open the door and didn't say a word as she glanced around at his walls, "You need something?"

"Why is this place so empty?" she demanded.

"What are you talking about?" he asked looking around. It didn't look so empty to him. He had a television, a VCR, a DVD player, a dresser, and embarrassingly enough a pile of dirty clothes.

"Look around, everything is so plain." she said walking out into the living room, "No pictures, no calendar, and not even any garbage, Ryan it's like you don't live here. If it weren't for your piles of dirty clothes I'd think this place was empty."

Ryan closed his eyes at the clothes comment and sighed, "Put up whatever you want. Throw your trash right on the floor if you want. Whatever makes you feel more at home." he turned around and headed back into his room.

Taylor sighed, and followed him, "Ryan I'm serious. You can't just send me into my room and expect me to behave like a good little girl."

"Who exactly are you talking to?" he asked with his eyebrow raised, "Me or your dad?"

Taylor shook her head, "Give me some personal items that I can scatter around the house."

"They don't come in here, you can make as big of a mess as you want, they don't come to check up on me, and I'm betting you being here isn't going to make a difference." Ryan said gently.

Taylor wasn't really sure what was going on. Usually Summer, Marissa, and Kaitlyn were the only ones who could see through her, and here this boy whom she'd met barely four hours before could already see.

"I... I don't care about him. He left me when I was nine years old. I've barely seen him since I was twelve years old. I don't care about him." Taylor said emotionlessly. She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. It was like she needed to get out of there before he saw any more of her.

"Taylor!" Marie called as Taylor walked down the driveway.

"Um hi." Taylor said taken aback as the girl hugged her again.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't... I don't really know what's there to do around here?"

The girl grinned wickedly, "Lot's of stuff if you know the right people." Suddenly her stepsister reminded her of Marissa, that should have brought her comfort but all it did was make her uneasy.

"Hey." Jake said as he got into his car.

"Hi." Taylor said as Marie glared at her brother.

"Get in." Jake said.

"Excuse me?"

"Get in the car." he repeated, opening the passenger side door.

Taylor didn't wait to be told again, so she escaped Marie's company to join Jake. God only knows where she was heading.

"Wanted to save you from Marie." he said as they drove down main street.

"Save me?" she repeated.

"My sister can get a little... well she can get to be a bit too much sometimes." Jake said parking the car by a diner.

'God, this place really is right out of Gilmore Girls.' Taylor thought to herself following Jake inside, "Well thank you I guess."

"Guys this is my new step sister Taylor, Taylor this is Janie, my girlfriend, Mark, and Jim." Jake introduced before sitting down.

"Hi." Taylor said sitting down.

"I saved her from her new sister." Jake explained.

"Marie Antoinette?" Jim asked his hand to his heart, "Thank God you were in time. We would have lost this hot girl, to the forces of evil."

Taylor blushed, and turned to Jake, "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away." Jake shrugged.

"What's the deal with Ryan?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I just asked, what's the deal with him?"

"Well I mean you heard my mom say that he's my aunt Belle's friends kid. He got into some trouble in his old town. I think he lived in Chino in California." Taylor looked up, Chino was only about two hours give or take from where she lived. "He's been living with us for like a year. I never really got to know him all that well. We talk at dinner, but never really at school. Marie knows him better than I do."

"Oh are they...?" Taylor asked, pretending not to be interested while she read the menu.

"No." Janie said, "Ryan is alot smarter than to start a relationship with Marie."

Taylor nodded.

"So Taylor, what do you do for fun?" Mark asked.

"Um well I read I guess..." she was at a loss of words, the things she did for fun involved Summer, Kaitlyn, and Marissa, she didn't really know who she was without them. She played with the scrunchie around her wrist, "I'm also an avid soccer watcher, and I've spent a few years studying sleep disorders cause my friend had trouble sleeping after parents split."

"You are very strange." Janie said, Taylor looked down at her hands, "It's so awesome."

Taylor grinned, "It is awesome."

Taylor liked Jake's friends, it almost made her forget how she'd arrived only a few hours ago and her father hadn't even tried to talk to her. They hadn't seen one another in over a year yet he didn't feel the need to catch up. Instead he threw her in the guesthouse with a stranger. The key word was almost.

"So what'd you think, Townsend?" Jake asked as they drove home.

"I had fun. Thanks Jake." Taylor said.

When they pulled into the driveway Taylor noted that Marie was no longer on the lawn. She said bye to Jake as she headed to the guesthouse. She let out a gasp as she walked through the door. Pictures now filled the walls of the living room. There were pictures of the four of them, pictures of her and her mother, pictures of Ryan and people she'd never seen before. The movies she'd brought with her were on the shelves along with books. It looked like someone lived there.

She went straight into Ryan's room, "What did you do?"

He shrugged sheepishly, "You seemed upset this morning."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to... do all this." she said uncomfortably.

He shrugged again, "Your pictures were right on the bed. It took me some digging to get mine out of storage, but it was nothing."

"Thank you." she said, and gave him an impulsive hug.

"Uh, yeah." he said uncomfortably. He was used to this from Marie, but he hardly knew Taylor. Not that he was complaining, he added to himself as Taylor tightened her grip.

Taylor was fighting back tears, if you don't count Summer, Marissa, and Kaitlyn, this was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her, and she'd only known him for about five hours, and the first ten minutes she'd made an absolute fool out of herself. Yet here he was doing something nice for her.

"Time for dinner." Jake said walking in, "Oh sorry." he added seeing the two.

"It's fine." Taylor said jumping away from Ryan.

"It's dinner time." Jake repeated, this time trying not to laugh.

"Thanks Jake." Ryan said, following him to the door.

Taylor had never been more confused in her life. She had just hugged a boy she barely knew, and he hadn't pushed her away. She'd flirted with a random boy in the diner today. She hadn't even called any of her friends since she got off the plane earlier. She had done it all by herself, and that scared the hell out of her.

"So Tay what did you do today?" her father asked.

Taylor poked uncertainly at the food she'd been served. It looked like chicken but it didn't taste like chicken, "Um I hung out with Ryan for a little bit this morning, then Jake took me to the diner in town, and then I hung out with Ryan again."

"Uh huh, that's nice dear." Taylor stopped poking at her food and looked down at her hands, now crossed in her lap. It was obvious to Taylor that her father wasn't listening. He had just asked for the sake of asking, he didn't really care.

Even Marie seemed to be a bit less friendly. Though Taylor supposed it was due to the fact that she'd ditched her earlier for Jake. Stephenie seemed to be trying to calculate how much exercise she'd have to do to work off all the food she was shoveling in, or maybe how long till she could throw it all up again. If ever there was a woman made for New Port.

"So um... what are you doing tomorrow dad?" Taylor asked.

"Working." he said giving her a quick wink.

"Oh." Taylor nodded, "It's just that when mom told me I was coming here for the summer, she said you had a bunch of things planned and we were gonna spend time together..." Jake and Ryan exchanged glances and looked at Jonathon.

"I am happy you're here, Tay. I don't have anything planned right now, but not to worry. You only just got here today." he said.

She nodded again and picked up her fork, then put it down again, "Can I be excused?" Stephenie glanced up, "Jet lag." she added as an excuse.

Her father nodded and she put her plate in the sink and hurried up to the guesthouse.

Twenty-four hours had been too long to go, she thought as she tried speed dial three. Marissa's cell.

"Hey." Marissa's voice came through the phone.

Taylor sighed in relief, "Marissa thank god! You have no idea what it's-"

"Ha! I can't believe you just answered my voicemail, you moron. This is Marissa, leave me a message after the beep." The message continued.

"Okay I officially hate that message Cooper, change it and call me back." Taylor said, trying not to yell or maybe it was cry... she wasn't quite sure. 'She is at camp.' Taylor thought to herself, 'She might not be able to answer her phone.'

Speed Dial Two, Summer's Cell.

"Please pick up! Please pick up!" Taylor said.

"Hello." Summer said answering. Taylor was about to speak, but she paused not wanting to set herself up for disappointment again, "Hello?"

"Summer? Thank God!" Taylor sighed in relief.

"Hey Taylor." Summer said, already sensing the distress, "What's wrong? I just got your message."

"Everything Summer, everything. You guys warned me not to get to excited. You guys said it'd be just like Christmas 2000 when he said he was coming to spend the whole weekend with me, but instead we went to the zoo for like an hour before he left to check up on his dealer ship." Taylor said.

"What happened?" Summer asked, then added, "Shut up Cohen."

"Cohen?" Taylor asked.

"Oh he's my neighbor. Well my aunt's neighbor anyway." Summer said, "He's been annoying me since I got here."

Taylor paused. She knew that voice. It was the voice Summer used when she liked a guy, but was pretending to be indifferent to him. Summer had been in New York for two days and she'd found a guy, and here Taylor, who had been in this stupid town for less than a day, was crying over the fact that her father didn't want to drop everything and spend time with her, "You know what Summer? I'm fine. You get back to your neighbor. Don't do anything Marissa would do, but do more than I would."

"Wait Tay-" Taylor hung up.

Taylor laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She was alone. Summer was off doing the boy thing in New York. Kaitlyn was... well Kaitlyn was still in New Port, but tomorrow she'd be out of cell range, enjoying her summer lounging around a fancy cruise ship, and being waited on by hot guys. Marissa was at camp. No doubt seducing the local boys with her Cali girl charm. And here was Taylor, in a huge guesthouse... alone. Well not completely alone... there was Ryan, but she didn't know him, so it was just as good as being alone. Or at least that's what she thought, until Ryan came through the door of the guesthouse calling her name.

"Ryan?" she asked poking her head out of her door.

He smiled sheepishly, "I um... I wanted to know if you wanted to watch a movie or something? We can eat real food." he added and gestured to his fridge which was stocked with food. Taylor also made a mental note to ask him about the liquor that seemed to be stocked there too.

She tilted her head slightly, as if thinking about it before nodding, "Yeah, that would be nice."

The next morning Taylor awoke tangled in Ryan's arms. She looked around and realized that they'd fallen asleep on the couch after watching the movie.

"Sorry." Ryan mumbled, as he woke, he removed his arms from around her.

"It's fine." she said softly.

A couple hours had passed, in which Taylor watched her father leave for work, Jake leave for god knows where and Marie and Stephenie leave for their mother daughter ballet class. Taylor turned to Ryan after pouring herself a glass of vodka, "Ryan what do you do for fun around here?"

"Other than this?" he asked holding up his own glass of liquor, he shrugged, "Nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean nothing." he repeated, "There is nothing to do, unless you're a pill popper or an alkie. Which by the way I'm not. I just enjoy the occasional drink."

Taylor nodded, she felt the same way about drinking, "Yesterday Jake met a couple of his friends in town." she reasoned.

He shrugged again, "Well Jake and his friends are the most popular kids in our soon to be senior class. I suppose it's easy to find stuff to do when the entire town loves you."

"Senior class?" Taylor echoed, "You're a senior?"

"Yeah." he said with a slight smile.

'Oh my God!' Taylor thought to herself. She was sharing a guesthouse with a senior! She had fallen asleep on top of a senior! She was drinking with a senior! Kaitlyn was going to die when she heard this, "So you're not popular?"

Ryan gave her a rueful smile, "Not so much."

"Story behind it?" she guessed.

"When I showed up here a year ago, I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms into this community. Stephenie made it some big secret as to why my mom sent me here. Most people had surmised that I deafened a kid," Taylor let out a gasp, and said something like, "That's so from Degrassi." But he continued, "Anyway I hung out with Jake for about a week or so, but we really didn't mesh well. Then I started dating Missy, she was the queen of the school basically. We dated for a few months, but I decided to break it off about three months into the relationship. Ever since I've been a social outcast."

"That sucks." she said as she held out her glass for him to top off.

Ryan shrugged, "I'm over it." he smiled at her, and she in turn grinned back at him, "So what about you Townsend?"

"What about me?" she asked clueless.

"Who are you?"

Taylor paused for a second, no one ever wanted to know about her. It was always Summer who got the life story questions, and Marissa who got the love life questions. Hell even Kaitlyn had stalkers in the form of fourteen year old boys, but Taylor... well she was the brain... the geek... the one no one not even her parents cared about. (This was of course excluding her best friends.) She toyed with her scrunchie as she fumbled for an answer, "I'm part of a set."

"Sorry?" he asked confused.

"I have three best friends who I do everything with." she went on to explain. She told Ryan about how their mothers were in the same birthing class, and how even though none of their mothers spoke, Summer's wasn't even in the same country, they'd remained true blue bffs. She then told him about the scrunchies and how it was Kaitlyn's idea, though she left out the meanings of each tie. Just because she was drunk didn't mean she was going to humiliate herself. Or so she thought.

"I don't really know who I am." she admitted, finishing her glass.

He nodded, "Sounds like something you should figure out."

She nodded giggling over the fact that they were both bobbing their heads in unison, he reached to take the bottle away from her with a grin, but she held it out of his reach, "You're nice Ryan."

"I'm not that nice." he stated.

She leaned back so she was lying completely on the counter, "No, you are. I like you Ryan."

He chuckled, "I like you too, Taylor."

"No, I mean I really like you Ryan." she said shaking her head, she took one more swig, and passed out.

Ryan rolled his eyes amused, "I really like you too, Taylor." he leaned down and picked her up off the counter. As her carried her to her room he glanced at the clock, it wasn't even six o'clock yet, and Taylor had passed out from drinking two glasses of vodka and a couple sips straight from the bottle, "No way you'd be able to hack it as an Atwood."

Taylor's cell phone rang on the nightstand, as Ryan was laying her down on the bed. Taylor woke with a start as the phone rang, "Hello?" she said.

Ryan looked at Taylor, then back at the phone that was still on the dresser. He could feel his own buzz kicking in, and he started chuckling. Taylor was still saying, "Hello." as the phone kept ringing, and Ryan was laughing. He fell on top of her he was laughing so hard. After the phone stopped ringing, Taylor started laughing too. Soon they were both laughing on Taylor's bed almost uncontrollably.

And then they were kissing.

Because she was drunk, Taylor really never could figure out who kissed who first. She liked to think it was Ryan who couldn't let another minute pass without kissing her. But if she was completely honest with herself it probably wasn't that reason, so much as they were both drunk and kissing seemed like a good idea.

The point was after that kiss, Taylor's whole outlook of the summer changed. But she wasn't exactly sure if it was for the better.

Okay I know I promised you guys a week and you only got two days. I'm sorry but you know how it is, you gotta write how you feel. Anyway I hope you don't think I'm rushing the Ryan/Taylor thing. Just because they kissed doesn't mean they are together (Or does it?) My main goal for Taylor in this fic is to have her go from the shy, scared of skinny dipping and kissing boys Taylor to the self confident to the point of social retardation (Thank you JT) Taylor, that she was on the show. I think Ryan will be a key part of getting her there.

Okay well please review. I really like to hear from you guys. I love all the input that you share. Let me know if you think I'm staying true to these guys. It's not really worth it to me if no one likes it, lol.

-Em


	7. I'm Not Afraid

Chapter Seven: I'm Not Afraid

She had plenty of reasons to be angry.

Number one was that in this big huge house the only place her aunt and uncle seemed to be able to fit her was the smallest room, because the other spare rooms were for guests other than family. And when they said smallest room they included the maid's quarters with it. When Summer entered the room she envisioned herself as Harry Potter at the age of eleven. Not that she read the book, but Taylor told her all about it, and they had gone to see the movie a couple years back.

Number two was that every time she tried to leave the house, to go tanning or shopping...or even to go next door to see Seth, someone would always call her back like her aunt or uncle and their friends and ask how her life in Newport was. Always with a knowing glance that told her that the Step-Monster had already filled them in and they were just attempting to keep her out of trouble.

Finally number three was when Seth finally came to knock on their door, the day after she'd arrived, Jaime answered it. Jaime, Summer decided, must have had some kind of alien body swatch experience since they'd last seen one another, cause there was no way this prissy little snob was the same little girl Summer had tea parties with as a child.

"What do you want psycho?" Jaime asked opening the door.

"Hi Jaime. My year was great, thanks for asking." Summer heard him say with sarcasm. Despite herself she smiled as she gathered her bag.

"I said what do you want?"

"He's here for me." Summer said walking up behind Jaime.

"Summer do you know who this guy is?" Jaime asked.

Summer shrugged, "Yeah, he's my friend."

"Okay Summer I think you need a history lesson on your little friend, the psycho." Jaime started, "Like say four years ago-"

"Jaime! Knock it off, Cohen is my friend, the only one I've made so far since your mother doesn't seem to want me to socialize. I'm not planning on losing him." Summer said pushing Seth out the door and following.

"So is that what I am?" Seth asked as the walked down the sidewalk.

"What?"

"The temp? You know the person you hang out with till someone better comes along?" he asked, "Cause you know that's okay... I don't have many friends, so even temporary ones are fine. I just want to know where I stand."

Summer laughed slightly, and put her hand on Seth's shoulder, "Cohen, you and I are friends, no temporary crap. That's not who I am."

Seth nodded, "Very cool."

"Cohen, don't say very cool... ever."

"Ha, ha." he said sarcastically, playfully shoving her, "So your not like interested in why Jaime didn't want you hanging out with me?"

"Not in the least."

"Good." Seth said softly, so Summer couldn't hear him.

"What?"

"Nothing." he said putting him arm around her shoulder, Summer rolled her eyes but let him keep his arm around her.

"So what is there to do around here?"

Seth laughed, "Did you seriously just ask me what there is to do in New York City?"

He took her hand and led her to the nearest train station.

Yeah, she had plenty of reasons to be angry... but she wasn't.

"What about the Plaza Hotel? Isn't that like as fancy as like a Hilton?" Summer asked as they walked through the busy streets of Manhattan.

"Well it used to be cool, till they changed it from a hotel to like a condo thingy or something." Seth said handing Summer and ice cream cone.

"I always wanted to go into Eloise's room. I loved those books when I was a kid. I mean come on a rich girl who basically controls the hotel she lives in? Talk about awesome!" Seth rolled his eyes.

"How about-" Seth started when Summer let out a squeal, "What?"

"White Castle!" she said pointing to the restaurant that was only a few feet away.

"Yeah..." he said.

"Like from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle!"

"From what?"

Summer stopped and stared at him open mouthed, "Are you serious? My God you are the New York version of Taylor!"

"Is that a good thing?" he asked.

Summer paused and shrugged, "I guess it could be."

"Okay." he said, even more confused. He had no idea who this Taylor guy was, but if Summer said it was a good thing...

"She's one of my best friends." "Oh." Seth interjected relieved, Summer ignored him and continued, "I have three really good friends back home. Taylor, Marissa, and Kaitlyn. This is the first summer since birth that we're apart." she went on to explain.

"Since birth?" he asked impressed as she led him into White Castle.

"Yeah our moms were all in the same birthing class." she said, the looked up at the menu, "What should I get?"

Seth chuckled, "The burgers, chicken rings, and fries."

"All that?" she asked skeptically.

"Summer go sit, this is your first time in a White Castle. You need to experience all of it." he said steering her to a table. He turned back to the counter, while Summer pulled out her cell and dialed the only one of her friends that would care.

"Hey it's, like, me." Kaitlyn's voicemail said, "Leave me a message and if it's really good I'll get back to you."

"Mini Coop! You'll never believe where I am. White Castle! Yep that's right my little friend, as in Harold and Kumar go to! How jealous are you? Well don't be, I promise to freeze some or something so I can bring them back to you."

"This is the best thing I've ever eaten." Summer told Seth a half hour later.

"I can tell." Seth chuckled as Summer stuffed her face with White Castle.

"What should we do next?" she asked.

Seth shrugged, "We're in Manhattan, what do you want to do?"

And that was how Seth and Summer ended up in the shopping district.

"I usually come out to the city for the Comic Con. I take a plane to my parents for the one in February, and the other one in the summer is in California." Seth said, looking shyly at Summer as she pulled things off the racks, "Maybe if you're not busy... well you might want to come?"

"Comic books?" She asked looking at him in the mirror.

"Well not just comic books... theres like celebrities and manga, and stuff..." he trailed off.

"So like what late summer?" she asked, he nodded, "If I can convince my aunt to let me," she shrugged, "Then sure Cohen, I guess you can count me in. God Taylor's gonna die when I tell her, I'm going to a comic book convention."

"So do you and Taylor do everything together?" Seth asked.

Summer nodded, "Me, Taylor, Marissa, and Kaitlyn, we're best friends."

"Taylor, Marissa, Kaitlyn, and I." he corrected on habit.

Summer squinted at him, "You don't know them."

Seth laughed and Summer went back to looking at clothes.

The train ride home had been filled with Summer's happy chattering. She had loved the trip, and Seth for taking her.

"This has been the best time, that didn't involve Marissa, Mini Coop, and Townsend, that I've ever had." Summer said happily.

"So that's good?"

Summer nodded, "Very good."

Seth nodded, "Okay."

When they got home Summer's aunt made her come inside for dinner and Summer was surprised to find that she'd missed a call from her dad. She made a mental note to call him back. The next morning though she made her way back to Seth's, even with Jaime's comments.

"You're gonna find out sooner or later what a freak Seth Cohen is. You might as well let me tell you now so you can shun him like the rest of us." the girl said.

"Jaime for the last time, Cohen isn't a freak. In fact he's like one of my best friends back home. So are you calling her," Summer pointed to a picture with Taylor in it, "A freak?"

"No, but she probably hasn't done what 'Cohen' has."

"Whatever." Summer said, walking out the door.

"Just don't come crying to me when you find out! I warned you!" Jaime called after her.

"Was that Jaime yelling?" Seth asked as Summer entered his room. He had been sitting at his computer desk next to his open window, so he anticipated Summer's arrival.

"Um-hmm." Summer nodded.

Seth was suddenly aware that a girl was in his bedroom. He quickly shoved his comic books of the bed and pushed his socks under it, "So... this is my bed."

Summer raised her eyebrows, "Yeah."

"I thought you should know."

"Yep I got it." she said bemused.

"So... what's up?" he asked lying casually across his bed.

"Boredom."

"Ah... movie?" he asked pointing to his shelves which were stocked with books, cds, and dvds.

"That depends, are all your movies action-y boy movies? Or do you have some good comedies?" Summer asked sitting next to him on the bed.

He nodded towards the shelf, "See for yourself." Summer got up to thumb through the dvds, "You know you can ask."

"Ask what?"

"What Jaime's talking about. I won't get offended, or mad even." he said.

"Cohen, get it through your head already, I'm not afraid of you." she said turning to face him, "Whatever Jaime is talking about doesn't matter to Me."

"When you want to ask I'll tell you." He merely shrugged.

Seth stared up at the sky. It was a clear blue summer day and he was pleased that Summer didn't hate him or think of him as insane like the rest of the neighborhood, but at the same time it bothered him that she didn't want to know why.

If it were the other way around he's be dying.

"Oh my god." Summer said looking at her phone as they walked around the block, "I got a voicemail from Taylor, from a couple days ago."

"Why didn't you get it then?" he asked looking down at her.

"I didn't notice it." She said, punching in her code, "Oh poor Taylor. I gotta call her." No sooner had Summer spoken the words that her cell started to ring.

"Hello." She said happily. She gave Seth a weird look when no one responded, "Hello?" she repeated impatiently.

"Summer? Thank God!" Taylor sighed in relief.

"Hey Taylor." Summer said, already sensing the distress, "What's wrong? I just got your message." She sat down on the curb with Seth following suit as Taylor started to describe her first few days at her fathers. "What happened?" Seth looked up and pointed to a cloud then added, "It kinda looks like a plane."

"Shut up Cohen." Summer said, "Oh he's my neighbor. Well my aunt's neighbor anyway." She gave him a look to show she was just kidding as she added, "He's been annoying me since I got here."

"Thanks Summer I love you too." He said teasingly.

"Wait Tay-" she said urgently, but sighed as she realized Taylor had hung up on her, "Oh god, poor Taylor."

"Is she okay?" Seth asked.

Summer nodded, "She'll be fine. She just has to go through this alone. Marissa, Kaitlyn and I can't help her, and its killing me." She added tugging on the scrunchie around her wrist.

"Come on." He said standing and offering her his hand. She gladly accepted the comfort of his soft and warm hand covering hers, but at the same time fitting over it so perfectly, "Let's get some lunch."

Summer nodded, "That sounds perfect."

"Well, well, well." A voice said from behind them. Summer knew it couldn't be a god thing because Seth's hand tightened around hers before completely dropping it.

"Zac." He said softly.

"Hey Seth." Zac said looking at Summer as the two turned around. Summer's breath caught in her throat. This guy was hot! "How was boarding school?" he was asking.

"Fine thanks." Seth said.

"Suzie says hi by the way." Zac said. Seth flinched a little, "Whose your friend?"

"Summer Roberts." She said flashing a smile, though she was a little wary of him.

"Zac Stevens." He said holding out his hand. Summer took note of the fact that his hands were calloused and rough and way too big for her tiny ones.

"Charmed, I'm sure." She said snatching her hand back.

"So Seth," Zac started returning his focus on Cohen again, " I guess I'll see you around."

Seth nodded, and Zac headed back to his house where a girl and two guys were waiting. Summer noted that they were smirking, but she shrugged it off.

"Okay what the hell is that guys deal?" she asked when they were out of range.

"Zac and I don't really get along." Seth said then added, "Actually I don't get along with anyone, besides you, in this neighborhood."

"So he thinks cause he's so hot, he can go around hitting on me and picking on you? Oh I'm so going back there!" she said angrily turning back around.

While Seth attempted to comprehend the 'hot' comment, he grabbed Summer around the waist absentmindedly, "Let's go to my house." He added.

"I'm gonna go kick his ass." Summer said.

"How bout we go watch tv?" he suggested still dragging her.

That night Seth and Summer sat outside by the Cohen pool. Summer had decided that if Zac ever acted like an ass in front of her again then she'd kick his ass, no matter how hot, and she meant really hot, he was.

Summer dipped her foot in the pool, "So if I wasn't here what would you be doing right now?"

"Um this except alone." He guessed, "I'd probably be in my room reading and watching movies during the day. Avoiding people. My usual summer plans." He added shrugging.

"Do you like being alone?" she asked not meeting his gaze.

"Does anyone?"

"I guess not." She agreed softly.

"You wanna know now?" he asked, elbowing her side.

She didn't need him to elaborate she knew what he was talking about. Did she want to know why everyone in the neighborhood seemed to dislike him? She shook her head, "I've made up my mind about you Cohen, you may not be perfect but you're my friend. So I don't care what you did in your past, you're a good person and a good friend. Let's just leave it at that."

He nodded, "When you change your mind." Was all he said.

"Turn around for a second." She said standing.

"What?"

"I need to do something and for me to do it I need you to turn around." She said.

"Okay." He said giving up, and standing. He faced his house and started complaining about her making him stand up in his own yard when he heard a splash, "Summer?" he turned around to see Summer swimming in his pool, "Why did I need to turn for-" he stopped himself as he noticed the shirt next to him. Summer's shirt, "Oh my god." He said softly.

Defiantly not like last summer.

A/N- Okay guys do me a favor and don't try to guess what Seth's secret is, cause if you guess right it will ruin the storyline for you and others depending on how many people actually read the reviews of stories they didn't write. I mean I do cause I love crap like that but I'm weird. Anyway I already have the chapter where he tells Summer about it all written out and I will drop some hints but I don't want you to flat out guess it, cause I know from first hand experience that it takes away from the story if you already know the big secrets (I used to read ahead in books Hangs head in shame).

A couple notes to add:

My dad used to work in The Plaza, so I've been to the Eloise room, and I love it. Of course I haven't been there since they did the whole remodel and tossed 800 plus employees on their asses.

And I like Seth have never seen Harold and Kumar go to White Castle but my friends love it, and were extremely jealous to hear that in my childhood I used to go to White Castle all the time

Please review. Next is Marissa Cooper over at her soccer camp.

-Em


	8. It's More

Chapter Seven- It's More

Marissa had been at camp for three days and she already loved it.

Well she didn't really like the food they served. I mean seriously under cooked hot dogs and beans? Who are they kidding? And she didn't really like the fact that the cabin she was staying in smelled like moldy cheese. Nor did she like the fact that she had to be up at seven in the morning to run around a track. And if she was being completely honest she didn't really like the girls she was staying with. They were okay, it's just that none of them were a Summer, Taylor, or Kaitlyn.

But Marissa did love Luke.

He had been helping her with her aiming, and that required him helping her position her leg right. Sometimes it would take five or six times of Luke moving her leg around before she finally managed to get the ball in the goal.

Not that she was complaining. About anything. Tara, her bunkmate, frequently complained about the heat, Annie, the girl in the bed next to hers always complained about the bug problem they seemed to be having in the goal, and Sophie wouldn't quit whining about how the grass needed to be cut.

Marissa also thought it was hot, she also thought there were a lot of bugs around, and did agree that the grass could use a cutting, but every time Luke's big strong muscular hand wrapped around her ankle and moved it into the right position she forgot all other unimportant matters.

On her fourth day at camp Luke poked his head into the cabin.

"Newbie." He said.

"Hey Coach." She said using her own nickname for him.

"Feel like going for a run?" he asked.

Marissa shrugged, she'd been planning on it anyway, and going with Luke was a definite plus.

"Come on." He said holding out his hand, not waiting for an answer.

"Okay." She nodded taking his hand.

They'd been running in silence for about twenty minutes when Marissa shrieked and grabbed her leg, "OW!" She hopped over to a rock and sat down whimpering.

"It's just a cramp." Luke said, walking over to her. He kneeled down by her leg and started rubbing the sore spot, "I told you to stretch before we left, but no, you said you didn't need to and then you put on lip gloss."

"Shut up." She whined.

"Stop thinking about the pain, it'll go away." He said.

"How can I stop thinking about my leg breaking in half?" she whined. Though she had to admit Luke's hands rubbing her leg was helping.

"Tell me about something." He suggested.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Anything. Something important to you."

"I don't know." She shrugged.

"Come on, everyone has something important to them, Newbie. Whether it's a favorite book, a sport, a friend, a family member, hell even a favorite shade of lip gloss." He added as a joke.

Marissa half smiled, "I like the ocean."

He nodded, "Ah, yes the mysterious ocean."

She nodded, "And no I don't have a reason for you yet."

"Well it's only been a few days." He said putting her leg back down and sitting next to her to stare out at the ocean.

"What's important to you?" she asked.

"This." He said picking up a handful of sand, "This place, all of it. The cabins, the mess hall, the field, and _you_." He shoulder bumped her, "All of you guys." He added to clarify things.

"Well you're important to me too." She said flashing him her famous "Marissa Cooper Grin."

"Leg feel better?" he asked, she nodded, "Good cause we still have a mile to run."

She stood, "Lead the way, Coach."

Marissa stared at the ball and took a deep breath. She wanted to close her eyes but she knew she couldn't. She glanced at Luke for a second and he nodded at her. She took another deep breath and kicked the ball.

"Yes!" she screamed when the ball went directly into the net, "Did you see that?" she asked as she threw her arms around Luke's neck.

"You did good Newbie." Luke said hugging her back, "Now let's try it with a goalie. Annie! Let's go."

"So you proud of me Coach?" Marissa asked smiling.

"Very proud. Now let's see if I can get another goal out of you." He said tapping her on the chin.

"So what's going on with you and Luke?" Sophie asked as Marissa brushed her hair a few nights later.

"He's teaching me how to play soccer." Marissa said shrugging.

"Yeah, is that all he's teaching you?" Annie asked.

"Yes."

"I think he likes you." Tara said.

"He does not." Marissa said, though she was secretly smiling to herself.

"Oh yeah than what's with all the late night runs?" Sophie asked.

"The extra lip gloss you apply before leaving the cabin?" Annie asked.

"The lotion you put on your legs?" Sophie added.

"Shut up." Marissa said getting up, "I'll be back later don't wait up." The other three laughed.

"Newbie." Luke greeted when Marissa met him in their spot on the beach.

"Hey Coach." She grinned.

"Ah I see you've put the gloss on before you got out here this time. Maybe you'll stretch first now." He commented, making her blush.

"So Luke?" Marissa asked when they reached the end of the mile. Usually after every run they'd sit for a little while and watch the ocean, like Marissa liked.

"Yeah Newbie?"

"Why do you care so much that a girl from Newport Beach California learns how to play soccer?"

"It's my job." He shrugged.

"Yeah, but this," she gestured between the two of them, "this is more than that." Luke was silent, "I mean, right?" Luke sighed, and Marissa got the message, "Oh… I just thought… never mind." She got up quickly.

"No, Newbie…Marissa wait!" he said standing up and grabbing her arm, before she could take off, "It _is_ more. I don't know what, but it is more."

She nodded and he let go of her arm. She took off back to the cabin. She collapsed on the stairs in front of her door, and took a couple deep breaths.

Marissa had had boyfriends before, she'd had sorta flings without the sex part, she'd had kisses that never amounted to anything, but she'd never had anything that felt like this. It had only been a week and she knew she was in over her head.

For the first time since she got to camp she pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. Surprised when she found that she had a message. Though she wasn't surprised when she found it was Taylor.

Taylor, her best friend, who sounded as if her heart was breaking as she left Marissa that message three days before.

Hearing Taylor's voice made Marissa remember the scrunchie. She looked down at her wrist confused. She hadn't taken it off expect for showers, since Kaitlyn slipped it on her wrist over a week ago, yet she forgot it was there. The whole point was so that they'd remember and stay together even in this time when they were apart.

Marissa suddenly felt guilty, and stood up heading back to the beach hoping Luke was gone, but even if he was still there she wasn't gonna let him distract her.

She bent down and picked up a discarded can. She looked around and noticed a lot of garbage on the beach. Not enough to bother anyone unless they were really looking, but enough to bother Marissa right now. This was her beach. Or at least for the summer it was and with or without this particular scrunchie she was gonna keep it clean.

As she cleaned up she thought about her sister, wondering if she was having a good time hanging out on their fathers boat. She wondered if Taylor was okay now. She worried about how many guys Summer was seducing, without the three of them there to make sure she didn't take it too far.

The next morning Marissa pulled out an envelope and addressed it to Taylor, slipping the scrunchie inside.

_Dear Taylor,_

_I hope summer doesn't blow too much for you. I got your message yesterday a full three days after you left it for me so I'm sorry I didn't call you back. _

_I, of course, am already in like with someone. Sorry I forgot you taught me the word for being in like with someone. What was it? Uh… infatuated?_

_Well whatever. He's really cute and he might like me back. We'll see what happens right?_

_I love you!_

_Love, Marissa_

Please Review. I hope you like how I've decided to make Luke. I know it's nothing like the Luke we saw on the show. I want Luke and Marissa to have a meaningful relationship in this story. Instead of her just wanting him cause he's hot, though that's how it starts.

I hope you like it.

-Em


	9. Just Kiss Me and Get it Over With

Chapter Eight- Just Kiss Me and Get It Over With

"Uh excuse me Miss." A voice Kaitlyn was quickly starting to hate called.

"Leave her alone man." Spencer said chuckling.

Kaitlyn plastered on a fake smile and asked, "What can I do for you sir?"

In the two days that she'd been working on her fathers cruise ship; she'd already gotten the hang of waitressing. She was still out of cell range but, she had been typing up long messages to her friends on Brad's computer so when they were finally in range she could email them, and in their off hours the Ward twins had taught Kaitlyn how to play chess. Not that she'd ever had a need or want to play chess but well it was something to do.

"Well this ice water I asked for is a bit too cold." Tyler said smiling at her.

"Yeah that's cause it's _icy_ water." Kaitlyn said through gritted teeth.

"Can you get me another? Maybe not quite as _cold_?" he asked handing it back to her.

"Spencer, how much do you like this guy?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Do what you gotta do Cooper." Spencer said laughing.

"Kaitlyn, your orders up." Brad said arriving in the nick of time, "I'll take over this table."

"Aww." Tyler said grinning at Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn turned back around but Brad caught her and spun her back in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey sweet heart." Jimmy said greeting his daughter.

"Hey dad," she sighed, sitting down. She and the Ward's were on their lunch break, and Jimmy had just placed a bowl of chips in front of them.

"Hey Mr. Cooper." The boys said in unison.

"What are you kids doing today after you get off work?" he asked getting started making on their lunch.

"Probably writing to Summer. I can send all the messages the day after tomorrow." Kaitlyn said happily.

"And we'll probably be sitting there watching her write the message." Brad said.

"Sounds like fun." Jimmy said grinning.

"Loads." Eric said sarcastically.

"Oh Waitress." A voice called.

"Will I get in trouble if I kill a customer?" Kaitlyn asked Brad, who nodded at her, "I'm on break Tyler."

"That's cool." He said pulling up a chair.

"Cooper." Spencer greeted her.

"Hey Spencer, these are my friends Brad and Eric." She said.

"Do I not get an introduction?" Tyler asked.

"No." Kaitlyn said turning to talk to Spencer, "So what are you doing today?"

Spencer shrugged, "Avoiding my dad, as usual."

"Nice." Kaitlyn grinned.

"So have you talked to the other three parts of your quartet yet?"

Kaitlyn shook her head, "No. Not till we dock in a couple days. I don't have any service, phone or internet."

"I figured." He said.

Kaitlyn talked more with Spencer, ignored Tyler, and by the time her shift was over she had made over sixty bucks in tips. Twenty of which was given to her by Tyler, but whatever. Money's money.

"So is there like a mall or something in the town we're stopping over in?" Kaitlyn asked. She, Eric and Brad were sitting in her room relaxing after a particularly busy day.

Brad shrugged, "Probably."

"Good, cause this cash is like totally burning a hole in my pocket."

"I hear you." Eric agreed.

"What about you?" she asked Brad as the three sat down on lounge chairs.

"No, I'm saving mine."

"For what?"

"College." Eric asked sniggering.

His brother shoved him, while Kailtlyn asked, "Aren't you like my age? College is four years away."

"Yeah, but I want to be able to get into a good one and pay for it." He shrugged.

"Can't your parents?" she asked.

"Our dad isn't around and our mom thinks there are more important things than an education."

"But you don't?" Kaitlyn asked, Brad shook his head, and responded, "No there are some things that are more important, I know that." Kaitlyn nodded.

"Okay so that's why you have a job this summer." She turned to Eric, "Why do you need one?"

"Both of my brothers got jobs this summer so our mom told me I needed to get one too. It helps that ever since we were twelve we've been waiting on this ship. Just never the whole summer."

Kaitlyn looked at him confused.

"Our uncle is a friend of the guy who owns this boat. He offered us a job every spring break for the past couple years but our dad has always come with us and stayed as a guest." Brad explained.

"So you have another brother?" she asked.

Eric nodded, "Yeah, but he's not here this year. He got some job at a camp or something."

Kaitlyn took a piece of gum that Brad offered her, "Thanks. You guys think I'll make it to the end of the summer?"

Eric and Brad exchanged glances and grinned, "Nope."

"Not if you let that Tyler guy affect you like you do." Brad went on, to let her know they were only joking.

"Stick with us Cooper," Eric said throwing an arm around her shoulder, "We'll help you out."

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes, "Uh huh."

Usually Kaitlyn fell right to sleep when she was on a boat. The gentle rocking on the water, the smell, just about everything relaxed her. But the past few nights she'd been having trouble sleeping.

She wandered around the empty deck, trying to tire herself out. Trying not to think about the reasons she wasn't sleeping.

"Hey Cooper. What are you still doing awake?" Spencer asked, spotting her.

"Can't sleep." She shrugged, "What about you?"

"Tyler talks in his sleep." He said patting the chair next to him.

"I miss my sister." Kaitlyn said after a few minutes, "And my best friends." When Spencer said nothing she continued, "It's only been a week. But we've never spent more than a day without each other." She began snapping the scrunchie on her wrist like a rubber band.

"Tyler is my best friend but we barely get a chance to see each other even once a week." Spencer said. He thought he was giving her comfort but he wasn't.

"Nobody back home really gets it." She said, "Our friendship."

"It is one of a kind." Spencer said nodding, "Never seen anyone as close as you four."

"I think it's cause our families are so broken." She said as if he hadn't said anything, "I've been thinking about it a lot lately. We all sort of complete each other. Marissa is so out there and wild, and Summer knows what she wants and gets it, Taylor is like our mom the way she takes care of all of us, and I guess I'm I don't know the child. The one that everyone takes care of. But well now we're all on our own so we have to be whole people without each other, and I'm finding that kind of hard."

"It'll get easier." Was all he said.

As she got up to head back to her room Kaitlyn wondered if Spencer had really helped her at all.

Glancing down at the scrunchie on her wrist Kaitlyn gasped realizing she had to send it to Marissa the next day. She hadn't even kissed anyone yet. It was her idea and she hadn't even done anything yet.

She turned around only to remember that Spencer had left for his own room. And even if he hadn't would she have really gone up to him and said, 'Hey do me a favor, kiss me quick. Thanks!' Please! She could never say that to Spencer. He was the guy of her dreams. Literally. She knew when she fell asleep tonight she'd be dreaming of him and only him.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed snapping it on her wrist like a rubber band.

"Kaitlyn?" a voice asked.

She spun around to see Brad Ward standing on the deck in his flannel pajamas.

"Brad?" she asked.

"Yeah. Hey. I couldn't sleep so I was taking a walk." He said, "What are you doing?"

"Kiss me." She said.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a high-pitched voice.

"It's for my friends," she said.

"Your friends want you to kiss me?" he asked in that same voice.

"Look I promised them that I'd kiss a guy by today, and I a) forgot, and b) haven't really found a boy that I want to kiss."

"Oh well when you put it that way…" he said.

"God! Just kiss me and get it over with!" She exclaimed grabbing his shirt collar and crashing her lips into his.

"Whoa." He said softly when she pulled away.

"Thanks Brad." She said running for her room.

She finally settled down for bed, wishing for happy Spencer filled dreams, so it was confusing to say the least when everytime she tried to picture Spencer, a bushy haired boy would fill her mind instead. She chocked it up to being overly tired and forced herself to go to sleep anyway, promising that she'd deal with it in the morning.

**I don't know if I want Brad to be Kaitlyn's guy yet… or at all. I can't make up my mind for her. I've written five different outcomes for her, one for each of the guys she already knows, and one for a new character I'm thinking of adding.**

**I'm just not sure. I think it would be cute to have _Kaitlyn_ fall for the bushy haired awkward boy for once. I mean god we were so close with that geeky ice cream guy in the earthquake episode but we never heard from him again.**

**Well as always I want to hear your input, so review.**

**-Em**


	10. It's About Us

Chapter Nine: It's About Us

Taylor sighed. She'd done a good job of hiding from Ryan these past few days. Though truth be told it hadn't been too hard. Sure she'd enjoyed the kiss and then she'd fallen asleep drunk off her ass. When she woke up again Ryan was nowhere to be found, and Marie was begging her to go to the mall. She was grateful that she apparently wasn't the type of person to get hangovers. And also that Ryan was apparently prone to having amnesia when drunk, cause he showed no signs of remembering the kiss they shared and Taylor was more than happy to forget it herself.

Taylor sat up when she heard her cell ring. She glanced at Ryan who was sitting on the couch watching a movie. He didn't even glance up when she crossed in front of him to grab it.

"Hello?" she answered. The number was unfamiliar and normally she ignored those but something compelled her to answer this.

"Dorksend!" Kaitlyn's voice rang out happily.

"Kaitlyn?" Taylor asked sinking to the couch not even caring that she was breaking her own "No being within five feet of Ryan" rule, "Oh my god, it feels like forever, has it really only been a week?"

"Yes! A horrible hellish week!" Kailtyn whined, "Now find a computer and get online."

"What?"

"Marissa and Summer are already on, find a computer and get online." Kaitlyn repeated.

"Where am I gonna find a computer?" Taylor asked.

Without even looking away from the tv Ryan said, "You can use mine."

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"My laptop is over on my dresser." he said turning to look at her, "You can use it if you need it."

"Thanks." she said nodding, "Okay I'll be on in five." she added to Kaitlyn hanging up.

QueenofBabble has signed on.

BabyBluez44- Finally, God u said 5 mins!

QueenofBabble- It's been 2!

Winter16- Taylor!

QueenofBabble- Summer!

CoopCakes19- Wat I dont get a hi?

QueenofBabble- Im still mad at u, for not calling me back and for ur stupid voicemail. Hey Mariss how r u online right now? Doesn't ur camp have rules or sumthin?

CoopCakes19- My bunkmate is keepin an i out for me. I'm in the counselours office. (And besides I wrote you a letter enclosed with the scrunchie as to why I didn't call. I love you Tay !)

Winter16- Coop you rebel.

QueenofBabble- Marissa u cud get in trouble! (I forgive you !)

BabyBluez44- Wats life if you don live a lil?

QueenofBabble- Very poetic

BabyBluez44- Thanks

QueenofBabble- I was bein sarcastic.

BabyBluez44- Then I retract my thanks.

QueenofBabble- I figured u might

Winter16- ok lets change the subject.

CoopCakes19- please

Summer giggled out loud and Seth looked up from his comic book to see what she was doing. She had come over his house about fifteen minutes ago begging to use his computer. How could he say no to her puppy dog pout?

QueenofBabble- ok wats every1 been doing so far?

CoopCakes19- I scored

BabyBluez44- Jeez Marissa! TMI!

CoopCakes19- A GOAL! I SCORED A GOAL!

Winter16- lol

Winter16- ok Taylor wat have you been up to?

QueenofBabble- not much really. my step brother is okay i guess and my step sister is insane. But the guy I'm living with is kinda cool. he's letting me use his computer right now. How about you Summ?

Kaitlyn gasped so loud that Brad and Eric rushed over to see what was the matter.

BabyBluez44- the GUY youre LIVING with?

Winter16- Who are you living with?

CoopCakes19- WHY are you living with a guy?

BabyBluez44- R you REALLY Taylor Townsend?

QueenofBabble-of course I'm Taylor.

BabyBluez44- Prove it say something only the REAL Taylor would know.

QueenofBabble- Like wat Trouble Maker?

BabyBluez44- Wats Summer's favorite show?

QueenofBabble- Thats what u come up with?! Everyone knows her favorite show is The Valley!

CoopCakes19- Look she's the real Taylor, we know she's the real Taylor. Who else besides us knows her password?

Winter16- Good point

CoopCakes19- Can we get back to the matter at hand? Taylor Townsend is LIVING w/a guy!

QueenofBabble- he's my step moms friends kid or my step moms aunts son or... god something lik that. Anyway he's staying in the guest house and so am i. Thats it.

BabyBluez44- Taylor Townsend is living wit a guy!

QueenofBabble- ...a senior.

Marissa let out a squeal of happiness.

"Newbie?" Luke asked poking his head into the office.

"Where's Annie?" Marissa asked nervously.

"She ran when she saw me coming. What are you doing?" he asked eyeing the screen.

"I'm IMing my sister, and best friends." she said.

Luke looked at her for a minute before saying, "I'll keep a look out."

Winter16- UR living with a senior!

QueenofBabble- I know!

BabyBluez44- God Townsend! Who are you?

Winter16- Does he like U? I mean how could he not? But does he?

QueenofBabble- I don't know, we kissed when we got drunk and everything but he hasn't said anything about it an I'm more than happy to not embarrass myself by bringin it up.

CoopCakes19- U KISSED HIM?

BabyBluez44- U GOT DRUNK AND KISSED HIM?

Winter16- U GOT DRUNK, KISSED HIM, AND DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT IT?!!!!

QueenofBabble- it just sort of happened…

CoopCakes19- I guess next week I should just send the black scrunchie to Summer cause obviously Taylor doesn't need it.

BabyBluez44- Yeah

QueenofBabble- But seriously you guys! He hasn't said a word about it. Does that mean he doesn't remember or he just doesn't want to remember?

Winter16- I don't know sweetie, it could just mean he doesn't remember. You said you guys were drunk

QueenofBabble- I guess. So Marissa what about your love life? Any cute guys anywhere near your camp?

CoopCakes19- Don't think just cause you change the subject it's dropped Townsend, but YES! There is a really cute guy, but I can't talk about him cause he's like standing two feet away from me right now.

Winter16- Then we expect a full report in letters!

CoopCakes19- Deal. Summ? I'm a little scared to ask… any guys?

Winter16- Well maybe kinda… I don't know. There is this guy who I thought was cute… till he opened his mouth. He sort of upset Seth and I don't know why.

BabyBluez44- Seth? Who's Seth?

Winter16- He's my aunt's neighbor and my temporary best friend while we're all separated.

QueenofBabble- Plus she totally loves him.

BabyBluez44- Oh yeah

Winter16- Hey I do not!

CoopCakes19- Oh she's denying it! She really loves him!

Winter16- You guys! He's just my friend!

QueenofBabble- Calm down Summer. We're just teasing.

Winter16- Thank you

QueenofBabble- kind of…

Winter16- Hey!

BabyBluez44- I hate to say it guys but I have to go. Even though we're docked I'm still working the lunch shift. I have to go take a shower and get ready.

CoopCakes19- Yeah and I probably shouldn't press my luck with the counselors

QueenofBabble- I've got to clean up the guest house. Ryan is such a pig sometimes.

Winter16- I promised Seth we'd go to the comic book store.

QueenofBabble- Any one else think this is weird.

CoopCakes19- Yeah it's like I can't say goodbye.

QueenofBabble- Actually I meant Summ saying she's going to a comic book store but yeah that too.

BabyBluez44- I know I have to but I really don't want to.

Winter16- I miss you guys.

QueenofBabble- Me too.

CoopCakes19- Ditto

BabyBluez44- Double ditto.

QueenofBabble- Let's just sign out without saying Good bye. And we'll all promise to talk again next time Kaitlyn docks.

CoopCakes19 has logged off

Winter16 has logged off

BabyBluez44 has logged off

Taylor wiped away a stray tear and turned off the computer, "Thanks for letting me use this." She added to Ryan.

"You okay?" he asked noticing the tears.

"Fine." She shrugged.

_Okay next up is Taylor. Please Review._

_-Em_


End file.
